"And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly." Luke 22:54-62 NIV
How many times do we deny Christ? Sometimes we look at the story of Peter's denial with a sense of judgement. How could Peter be so weak? He walked with Christ for three years, and witnessed all the wonderful miracles. He heard all his teachings, yet when the hour of judgement came, he denied Christ. Yet, Peter's denial of Christ was his low point, not his end point. For it is Peter who later wrote;
"As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him and you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts him, will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message - which is also what they are destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare that praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:4-9 NIV
Peter's denial, is but a stumble, not a fall. We stumble daily, when we too deny Christ. We deny him by rejected His call. We deny Him by seeking pleasures in the things of this world, and turning our backs on the things of heaven. We deny Him by looking for acceptance in the crowd, as opposed to standing firm on the promises of God. But as with Peter, our low point is not our end point. It is at our lowest point, where Christ reaches down with compassion and love, and by his sacrifice on the Cross, saves us in His kingdom. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 4:8 NIV. "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." "For you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." 1 Peter 2:24-25 NIV
Today, you are saved in His kingdom. His compassion never fails. He knows all your faults, and all your deeds. Still He reaches out His nail scarred hands to you! His hands are scarred for you! Deny Him no more, take up your cross and follow Him.
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